Rebound
by GemmaH
Summary: "I propose we call it a draw and agree we're both as fucked up as each other," I say, holding my beer bottle up. Edward dips his head and chinks his bottle against mine. "To being fucked up." I'm about to reiterate his sentiment, but all I can think is how good the word fucked sounded on his lips. BPoV and continuation of Spineless, my Cheaterward contest entry.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: All things Twilight belong to Stephenie Meyer, I've just spent too many years playing with them ;)**

 **Rebound**

 **Part 1**

Jess sighs loudly as I wait for her answer. I know the pressure I keep putting her under is straining our friendship, but I've got this unhealthy preoccupation I just can't seem to say no to.

"You promised you'd end it, Bella. It's not fair on Conner."

I lower my voice. "And I will. I swear."

She scoffs. She's heard it all before.

"This," she tells me sternly, "is the last time. The very last. I mean it."

"Thank you, thank you." I jump forward, grasp her arms above the elbow and kiss her on the cheek. "I promise I won't ask again."

She pushes me gently, holding me back and fixing me with a serious glare.

"You owe me, Bella. Big."

"I know, I know."

"I love you, but you need to stop being such a bitch and let the guy go."

I raise my eyebrows, trying to lighten the heavy atmosphere.

"Which one?"

Jess clearly doesn't see any humor in the situation.

"Either. Or both. Shit, be single for a while, it doesn't matter what you do then. Or who."

"Ugh, no thanks." The thought of being alone makes me break out in a cold sweat.

"You need therapy. I'm not even kidding."

"I've had hours of therapy, remember? Think how much worse I'd be without it."

She doesn't respond because she knows it's true, Jess has been my bestie since I was four years old.

"Well if you're gonna go, go, okay?" She waves me away with a tired gesture. I smile and begin to back away.

"And if Conner calls…"

"You're with me, but you can't come to the phone. I know the script."

"Thanks." I turn away.

"This is the last time," she calls after me. I raise my hand without looking back and yank open the door to my truck.

 _ **~Rebound~**_

I'm on my way out of town on the 101 when I spot a figure standing at the side of the road, arm raised as he thumbs a ride. He's tall and slim, and has his head bowed, so only a thick shock of penny-colored hair is on show.

"Good deed for the day?" I debate out loud, slowing before I even come to a conscious decision. It's impossible to sneak up on anyone in my red hunk of junk, and he raises his head to watch as I pull up to a stop beside him.

I take a good look at him as a huge smile tears across his face. He's my age at a guess, maybe a year or two older, but no more than that. I try to think of a word to describe him as he picks up his bag and runs around to the passenger-side door. Handsome doesn't seem to fit. Hot? Too crass. As he pulls open the door and his eyes land on me, he hesitates. I'm clearly not what he was expecting to see, but he recovers quickly, and as he blinks the answer comes to me.

Beautiful. He's beautiful.

"Where are you heading?" I ask him. I'm doing a quick risk assessment in my head. I know you can't necessarily tell a psychopath at first glance, but he seems normal enough. _That face aside._

He shrugs his broad shoulders. "Anywhere."

It's a strange answer and one that obviously has a story behind it considering how clean and well-dressed he is. I could just apologize and drive off, but… "Okay," I tell him.

My sense of self-preservation kicks in as he begins to load his bag onto the seat, and I hold up my hand.

"Before you get in, you should know my father's the chief of police, so if you're a serial killer you might want to wait for another victim." I wait for him to offer some kind of acknowledgement, but instead he laughs. The corners of his eyes crinkle as the sound echoes around the cab of the truck. It's so genuine I can't help but smile, despite the gravity of the point I'm trying to get across.

"What? I'm serious."

"I'm not a serial killer," he says. I examine his face for the signs of a lie I've learned to look for (and hide). Seeing none, I nod.

"Well get in then, Mr Not a Serial Killer."

He smiles and settles himself next to me, then turns and holds his hand out towards me.

"There's no need to be so formal. You can call me Edward." He wraps his hand around mine, engulfing it with the size and warmth.

"Pleased to meet you, Edward. I'm Isabella."

I have no idea why I give him my full name. I never use it, I'm Bella to everyone.

"Isabella. That's pretty. It suits you." Our hands part and I mourn the loss a little as his words make my heart speed up and my face grow warm. I look away, trying to hide the effect he's having on me.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to embarrass you," he says. Apparently I didn't hide it nearly fast enough. "Trust me, the last thing I'm looking for is romance."

My own messy situation comes back to me, making me shiver.

"It's fine," I say, trying to reassure him. "And for the record, me neither."

I look at him as I shift the truck into gear. "Are you ready?"

A frown weighs his brow down in confusion. "Destination Anywhere, right?"

"Right." He smiles at me, dazzling me so thoroughly I'm afraid I might not be able to focus on the road ahead. "Yeah, I'm ready. Bring it on."

"So where _are_ we headed?"

I glance at him with a smirk, before I look back at the road. It's a good job I'm driving, because there's something about him that makes me want to take in every detail of his face and I'm not sure I could stop myself from staring as I committed it all to memory. "What?" he demands, the corners of his mouth turned up too, despite the indignant tone to his voice.

"I thought you didn't care."

"I don't care, I'm just curious."

"Well I'm headed to Sequim, but you're free to hop out any time before we get there." My heart already aches at the thought of never seeing him again.

"Why Sequim?"

"I'm meeting a friend." It's close enough to the truth.

"Your friend lives there?"

"Uh… no. He's driving up from Tacoma.

"He?"

"You don't have girl-friends?" I ask. I glance across as he raises his eyebrows and laughs sardonically. "I didn't mean like that," I clarify. "I meant friends who are girls."

"Sorry." His hand is resting on his thigh, and he raises all but the heel up in an apology before letting it fall back down. "Sore point."

He turns his head away from me, gazing out of the window. His comment triggers a hundred questions in my mind I'm too polite to ask. I'm sure there's a link between it and the way he's chosen to leave town.

Edward sits in silence for a couple of miles. When he does speak it's just four words, then he's quiet again.

"I'll come to Sequim."

The sign declaring ' _Sequim Welcomes You'_ looms in front of us.

"Where do you want me to drop you?" I ask. His silent contemplation eventually faded and we've kept up a little smalltalk for a while. I now know his dad's an ER doctor in Seattle, he's always wanted a motorbike, but never had the balls to buy one (see fact number one), his favorite food is Steak Diane, and he's played the piano since he was five years old. Oh, and he's married. " _Kinda...sorta...it's complicated_."

Bingo.

I don't ask, but I'd place money on the reason behind his strange exit from town being to do with his 'complicated' marriage and his reaction to my mention of girl-friends.

"Just go wherever you're going, I'll hop out there."

I consider faking a stop, but then I decide it really doesn't matter what he thinks of me, chances are I'll never see him again anyway.

I pull into the parking lot and cut the engine.

"Well, we're here."

"The Holiday Inn?"

I turn to look at him. He's looking back, eyebrows raised, then he laughs. "A _friend_? Sure. Does your fiance know you're here right now?"

I curse the fact I felt comfortable enough to talk about my circumstances, and the anger I feel towards myself projects itself defensively onto him.

"Well coming from someone who's in a 'complicated' marriage and finds the issue of 'girl-friends' a sore point, I'm guessing you have no room to talk."

His smile fades instantly.

"You noticed that?"

"You didn't exactly hide it."

"Man." He rubs a hand down his face as though suddenly exhausted and a bubble of concern for him rises inside me.

"Are you okay?" I ask.

"Yeah." He lets out a deep sigh. "You should learn from me though. You can still avoid the inevitable messy ending."

"I'm sorry?"

"Let me out, turnaround and go home to your fiance."

I laugh, not so much at his words but at the fact he has the audacity to sit there preaching to me.

"I'm a big girl, Edward. I can take care of myself."

He shakes his head slowly as his lips turn up in good-natured despair.

"Well don't say I didn't warn you," he says, looking away from me to find the strap on his bag.

"I won't be able to, this is the end of the line, remember?" I smile brightly at him as he climbs out, then I gather my stuff together and open the door. By the time my feet hit the parking lot, he's standing beside the hood of the truck on my side, shifting nervously from foot to foot.

"Can I... give you my number?" he asks, adjusting his bag on his shoulder. I laugh.

"You have to be kidding me."

"Uh, no." He's embarrassed, scratching his head and generally fidgeting.

"Really?" I'm genuinely having trouble with this whole situation.

"Not like that! Fuck, I'm not hitting on you, Isabella."

"Now I feel like I should be offended."

"No! Don't be offended. I mean-" He grins cheekily. "It's not you, it's me. I'd have issues being the _other_ other guy."

I have no words and from the way his face drops I think he has a pretty good idea of what they'd be if I did. "Okay," he says quickly. "I'm just going to…" He steps around me, scanning the inside of the truck and reaching out to grab a scrap of paper and a pen that are lying around in there. "I'm going to leave you my number, just because I want to know you're alright. I mean, one day if…." He looks up at me. " _When_ things do happen to go horribly wrong for you, it's going to be kind of hard to find people willing to sympathize." Looking away again, he begins to write on the paper.

"Well thanks for the vote of confidence."

He tosses the pen back into the truck.

"I'm not going to lie to you." His face is so serious I can't help the dig.

"Like you did to your wife and girlfriends you mean?"

"Girl _friend_ ," he corrects me. "And I never lied to her."

"Oh, then I'm sorry I doubted your moral integrity. I stand corrected. You're not going to lie to me like you did your _wife_?"

He stands and stares at me, his mouth falling open a little.

"Are you really going to stand here and force a debate on which of us has the worst morals?" Annoyance flashes through his green eyes as the line of his mouth hardens. If he looked beautiful earlier, he looks devastating now. I don't reply to him. I _can't_ reply, my brain has emptied itself of everything except that face. "Well?" he asks.

"What?" My brain scrambles back into gear and tries to remember what the question was. When it finally catches up, my shoulders sag. "Look, I'm sorry. I guess you hit a nerve, I've been getting crap off my friend about it too and-" A car horn sounds loudly from across the lot, cutting me off and diverting my attention. Riley's out of his car, leaning on the driver's side door. He lifts his arm and waves when I look across, but makes no effort to come over.

"I have to go," I tell Edward, gesturing over. He lifts his head and glances across.

"I hope he's worth it," he says, the bitter tone of judgment dripping off the words as he hands me the piece of paper he's scrawled his number on. A fiery burst of anger rips through me. I grab my bag out of the truck and slam the door shut.

"I don't have to stand here and listen to you, and I really won't be needing this." I push the paper at his chest and let go, watching as he manages to catch it.

"Isabella-"

"Save it." I quicken my pace and half-jog to where Riley waits, trying desperately not to look back. He greets me with a hug, his familiar arms wrapping right around me the way they always do.

"Who was that?" he demands.

"Ah, just some guy I picked up in Forks."

"You gave a ride to a stranger? Bella…" I notice the way his hands curl into fists as he sneers over in Edward's direction. I know he's only mad I put myself at risk because he cares, but it kind of pisses me off.

"It's fine, he was cool."

When he turns me around to press me up against the car and kiss me, my traitorous eyes flit back over to my truck, but he's gone. When a momentary scan of the parking lot also comes up empty, I try to ignore the heavy feeling in my stomach and concentrate instead of the feel of Riley's lips against my own.

Riley kisses me so well I can barely remember my own name. I let him lead me towards the door of the Holiday Inn when something catches my eye.

"Hang on, I forgot something," I tell him, handing him my bag and heading back to my truck. I try to be inconspicuous as I pluck the paper from under the windshield wiper. I open the truck door and pretend to look for something as I unfold it and see the neat row of numbers. I stuff it in my pocket, grab the hairbrush I keep in the glove compartment and lock everything up again.

"Sorry about that," I tell Riley as I jog back to him. I reach for my bag.

"It's okay, I got it." He smiles at me. It takes me a moment to realize what's different - it didn't make my stomach flip the way it normally does.

Riley checks us in as I stand beside him, eyes wandering around the reception area. A movement catches my eye and I look across as the doors to the elevator begin to close after a single passenger. Edward raises his head and his eyes meet mine as he vanishes from view. _Now_ my stomach flips, only for the wrong guy.

I'm hyper-aware of the piece of paper in my pocket, and I hate myself even more than usual as Riley turns, keycard to our room in his hand, and smiles at me.

"You okay?"

No.

"Sure." I smile back and walk with him.

 _ **~Rebound~**_

"You're quiet today," Riley tells me, kissing me gently on the head as I lie naked and nestled in the crook of his arm. "Something on your mind?" He knows me well. He's the childhood friend who moved away and you'd never have heard of again before the internet. One walk down memory lane and a quick Facebook search later…

I look up at him, blond hair falling down over his forehead. "Jess has been giving me a hard time again." It's easier to put my mood down to something he already knows has been bothering me.

"It doesn't need to be like this, you know that," he tells me as he strokes my arm gently.

"I won't move to Tacoma, Riley." He wants me to leave Conner for him, he tells me every time. He rolls his eyes, shifts away a little. He never used to put pressure on me about it, but lately I can feel him starting to push and I don't like it. "You could always move back to Forks." It's a safe bluff, I know how he feels about the place, there's no way he'd ever consider it.

"It's beginning to look like I might have to."

The words prick at me, sending shots of panic through my body. I sit up, clutching the sheet to my chest as the sense of exposure my nakedness brings, floods me. I force a laugh. "You hate Forks, remember?"

Riley turns his serious brown eyes on me and reaches out, pulling me back down onto the bed. He reaches for the sheet, pulling it away and lowering himself down, settling his bare skin on mine. "I hate Forks but I love you. I want to be with you, Bella." He leans down and kisses me slowly, his tongue gently exploring mine as I feel him harden against me again. My body reacts automatically as my brain races away with the things he just said.

He's already inside me by the time he lifts his head and notices the tears escaping from my eyes. He stops moving.

"What's wrong? Did I hurt you?" I shake my head no and press my hands gently against him. He moves away enough so I can pull the sheet back around me and roll onto my side with my back to him.

Riley lets me cry it out. He says nothing, but when the tears really start to wrack my body, he lies behind me and pulls me close to him, holding me silently and without moving until they ease. I lose myself in a cloud of misery and confusion I didn't even know I was living under until today. Whether Jess's comment this morning was one too many, if it was the chance meeting with the beautiful stranger, or if Riley's declaration of love and dedication finally tipped me over the edge, I have no idea, but something that started out as fun, has somehow left me feeling wrung out.

As my body finally relaxes and lies heavy with emotional exhaustion on the bed, Riley finally speaks.

"What can I do to make you feel better?" He strokes my hair and kisses my shoulder, and I tense.

"I think I want to be alone."

"Okay." He pauses. "I'll take a walk. You want an hour? Two?"

I roll over and look up at him. His brow is drawn and his mouth tight with concern. I reach up and touch his face, running my hand down over the rough couple of day's growth on his cheek and chin. I smile sadly, thinking of how happy seeing his face made me in the beginning.

"You should go home."

"Home?"

"I can't do this today. I need some space. To think."

"But Bella…"

"Shhh." I place my finger on his lips. "Not now. Please."

His eyes search my face. I've no idea if he finds what he's looking for, but eventually he seems to accept what I asked.

"You'll call me?" he asks.

I nod. I can't tell any more lies today, I'm done.

He leans down and kisses me and I let him. In my heart I know it's goodbye and I wonder if he feels it too. He lets out a groan that I feel between my legs, and I know if I don't stop this now I might change my mind and let him stay. I guess my emotions are even more messed up than usual.

As if he knows what I'm thinking, he pulls away, shifts across the bed and stands.

"Do you mind if I shower before I leave?" he asks. I shake my head and watch him walk into the bathroom, closing the door behind him. As the sound of running water begins, I climb out of bed and pull on my underwear and t-shirt. I grab the TV remote and settle back in bed, turning the TV on and flicking through the channels before I find some music channel to kill the silence.

Riley's fast in the shower, and I watch him as he emerges, towel around his waist. He dresses without making eye contact and pulls on his shoes in silence. I wonder if he's going to leave without acknowledging me at all, but then he pauses on his way to the door, bag slung over his shoulder and hair still wet from the shower. "I hate to leave you like this," he says, looking at me sadly. His eyes are red-rimmed and I wonder if maybe he's been crying.

"I'll be fine,"I tell him.

"You're staying over?"

"Yeah. I can't go home like this."

He nods in agreement, lingering a moment and looking as though he wants to say something. In the end he takes a breath and draws himself up.

"I'll see you around, Bella."

"Bye, Riley."

The door closes behind him and the tears start over again.

 _ **~Rebound~**_

It's evening by the time I decide I'm going to go a little crazy if I don't get out of this room. I had a bath around an hour ago, then I got back into bed with some of the snacks I'd brought for Riley and me. I throw back the covers and pull some clothes on, and forget bothering to rearrange my messy bun or put on any make-up. I doubt it would make a lot of difference to my tear-swollen face, and besides, it's not as though I'm going to see anybody that matters.

I pull on a sweater, grab a pack of beers from my bag and leave the room, heading for the stairs. When I reach the top I open the doors onto the rooftop garden. The lights are on in anticipation of the dusk, but the whole area's bathed in the orange glow of the sunset. I wander over to the railings, pull a beer from the pack, twist off the top and take a long drink. I'm leaning on the metal, still warm from the day's sun, when soft footsteps approach and somebody speaks.

"One of those days?"

I know it's him before I turn, but as my heart quickens slightly I can't resist taking a look. I thought I knew what to expect, but what I hadn't counted on was the deep orange light making him look even better. It makes me more aware of the way the tears have ravaged my own face.

He stands beside me, facing me as he leans on the railings too. I look away long enough to reach for a beer to hand to him, then I meet his eye. Concern shows in his gaze as he scans my face. I get the urge to hide it, but I'm too emotionally drained to care for more than a moment. "Do I want to know what happened?" he asks as he puts his beer to his lips and tips it back.

"I'm not even sure myself," I admit.

"You ended it?"

"Kind of."

He smirks and raises his eyebrows. "So you _were_ listening."

The self-satisfaction dripping from his tone would have me clenching my fists with anyone else, but for some reason, coming from him, it doesn't rile me at all.

"He wanted me to leave Conner for him," I explain. Edward sucks in air through his teeth. "I mean, he has for a while, but I felt like he was pushing me today. That's not what this thing between us was supposed to be about."

"These _things_ have a habit of becoming serious," he says. I nod and we both fall into silence for a moment.

"Will you tell me your story?" I ask eventually. I worry he'll think me rude for asking, but instead of being angry he just looks sad.

"I guess. It's pretty easy to make it sound a whole lot simpler than it seemed at the time. My wife Becky loves books, so I started going to a book group, I thought I could surprise her with what I learned. That's where I met Angela - she owned the bookstore where it was held. In her defense she had no idea I was married at first. I stayed back one night to help her tidy up and…yeah."

"Were you…" I search for the best word. "With Angela for long?" I ask. I'm filled with a ghoulish curiosity about the whole thing.

"Three months."

"What happened?"

"She wanted more."

I shake my head as I gaze off into the distance, watching the traffic coming and going.

"What is wrong with people?" I muse. Edward doesn't reply and I gradually become aware I'm being watched. "What?" I ask, averting my eyes quickly as the intensity of the way he looks at me becomes too much to bear.

"You think they're the ones with the issues?" he asks.

"I think they knew what they were getting into."

"You could say we did too."

"Why were you leaving Forks?" I turn it back around onto him.

"I need some time."

"I think you're running away."

"Maybe. For the record I think you are too."

I laugh and shake my head.

"I haven't gone anywhere."

"You haven't gone home."

"You're so full of bullshit. You ever think of becoming a therapist?"

He raises his eyebrows. "Like my mom? No thanks."

"Your mom's a therapist?" I struggle to hide my surprise. "Well I guess that explains it."

"You're insulting my mom now?" His tone is teasing and I know I haven't offended him.

I take another drink of beer and shake my head as I swallow. "I actually have a certain fondness for therapists, we go back a long way."

"Well." His eyes shine with mischief. "I guess that explains it."

Whatever tension was building, cracks, as we both start laughing.

"I propose we call it a draw and agree we're both as fucked up as each other," I say, holding my beer bottle up. Edward dips his head and chinks his bottle against mine.

"To being fucked up."

I'm about to reiterate his sentiment, but all I can think is how good the word _fucked_ sounded on his lips. He's still waiting, his bottle touching mine.

"To being fucked up," I murmur, snatching my bottle back to my mouth.

He's looking at me, clearly amused.

"Are you thirsty?" he asks.

I swallow the beer and wipe my mouth with my fingers.

"My mouth's a little dry."

His eyes go there, and I watch the tip of his tongue poke out between his lips as he stares shamelessly at mine.

"Edward." I speak his name quietly, the syllables flowing from my mouth with a familiarity I shouldn't feel. It worked and his attention is drawn back up from my mouth. He doesn't speak, but the question's there in the way he looks. "You're scaring me."

He blanches, begins to withdraw. "No, no." I reach my hand out but I don't touch him. "Not in a bad way. Just… I… it's…" I sigh, exasperated that I can't put all the things I'm feeling into words. I take a deep breath. "You're making me feel."

He frowns, his brow drawing over his green eyes. The true color of them is burned into my mind, even as they blaze golden in the sunset.

"Feel what?" His voice is low and the sound turns my arms to gooseflesh.

"Just… feel."

He doesn't say a thing. Panic begins to build in my stomach, slowly rising as I realize I've made an idiot of myself. I can't look at him as I finish off my beer and push away from the railing. "It's been a long day..." I say, desperate for an escape. I reach for the two remaining beers, hold one out to him and clutch the other tightly to me. He reaches out and his hand closes around mine on the bottle.

"I left you my number…"

I try to swallow, but my mouth's like a desert again and the way he's staring at me isn't helping. "I got it." He raises his eyebrows but makes no comment.

"Call me. One day when... things are easier." I can tell he chooses his words with care. The meaning's crystal clear and welcome.

I nod.

"Sure."

His hand slides away from mine as he readjusts his grip so he's holding the bottle. I let go and walk away, pretending every step I put between us is a celebration of my self-control instead of the loss my heart's trying to convince me it is.

 _ **~Rebound~**_

 **A/N - Thanks to Choc for her support as ever x**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N - Thanks to everyone who read, reviewed or otherwise supported the first part of this little story, it's much appreciated :)**

 **Now I know I said it would be two parts, but what can you do when the story doesn't go where you were expecting? So here's the first part of part 2, with at least one more update to follow!**

 **Part 2**

 **i**

"I need a favor. Do you have plans for Friday evening?"

I can guess what's coming.

"Ah, I'm sorry, Jess, I'm kind of busy."

"With?" I can hear the suspicion in her voice.

"Mostly watching TV and eating my own body weight in junk food." There's no use in lying to her, she knows I barely go out these days since I broke up with Conner. It turns out being single isn't so bad after all.

Ugh, who am I kidding? It sucks. I'm determined to win the bet I made with Jess though - in two weeks I'll have managed six months on my own. "Why, do you have a better offer for me?"

"Any offer's a better offer, Bella."

"Okay, okay, what is it?"

"It's just dinner at our place, me and Mike and the guy from next door. He's been so great since we moved in, you know, he saw Mike struggling to hang those new doors, and he offered to help without us even _asking_ and-" She's babbling because she knows my first reaction will be to say no.

"Jess…"

"You know I wouldn't ask if it didn't matter, but he wouldn't let us pay him and we just want to say thanks, and it'll just be less weird with four, so if you come too..."

"Tell him to bring a date."

"I did, he said he didn't have one to bring."

"Shit, Jess. If he's fifty-"

Jess laughs. "He's not fifty! I think you'll like him."

"He can't be that great if he's single."

"Can I remind you of your own relationship status, Bella?"

"Jess, my relationship status is down purely to the fact that I have a wager to win in two weeks and three days."

"You've not even been near a guy since you split with Conner, you're not telling me that's down to a wager."

"Okay, so I needed a break."

"And you had one. Come on, it's only dinner."

I sigh in defeat.

"What time?"

"Seven?"

"Okay, I guess I could be there."

 _ **~Rebound~**_

"You're late," Jess hisses as she opens the door and stands aside to let me in.

"You're lucky I'm here at all," I tell her. "My anxiety almost won out."

"Are you okay?" she asks, looking at me closely as she takes my coat from me.

"Yeah, I'll be fine now I'm here." And I will. Most of the time the _thought_ of doing something is worse than actually doing it.

"The guys are in the kitchen, go on through, I'll be right there."

I stroll through towards the kitchen, admiring the work Jess and Mike have done in the short time since they moved in. I can hear Mike talking before I can see him, and when he finally comes into view along with the neighbor, I pull up short.

"Oh." I don't mean to say it out loud, but I'm too surprised to keep it in. They both turn to look at me, and while Mike's face cracks into a broad grin, Edward just stares, his face reflecting the surprise I'm feeling.

"Hey, Bella! Come on in and meet Edward. Edward, this is Bella."

"Isabella…" He doesn't look away from me as a smile forms on his face. "We've… met before," he tells Mike with the briefest glance in his direction. "How are you?"

"I'm good," I tell him, unable to resist smiling back. "You?"

"Yeah, things have been okay. I've got great new neighbors." He turns and grins at Mike and raises his beer.

"He really does. So how do you guys know one another?"

He's looking expectantly between us, as Edward and I share a glance that clearly means neither of us are about to admit the truth.

"We just got talking in the Blakeslee one night," Edward tells him. Mike looks surprised. He knows I haven't gone near that bar in almost four years, since an ex-boyfriend got jumped by some guys and threatened with a bottle.

"No, no. _You'd_ been in the bar, remember? You were walking home and stopped to talk. I was getting into my car outside the Thriftway." I shoot him a meaningful look and he laughs.

"I guess I was more drunk than I remember."

"You can't have been that drunk if you remember her name," Mike adds, nudging him. He's relaxed now, all signs of doubt around our story have vanished."

"Well she's kind of memorable," Edward adds, staring intently at me as he drinks from his beer. I feel myself blushing and look down at the ground to try and hide it.

"Have you checked on dinner?" Jess asks as she bustles in past me.

"Yeah, it's almost ready. Hey, did you know Edward and Bella already know one another?"

Jess stops and wheels around to look at me.

"Nooo." She draws the word out as though sensing there's a story to be told.

"We met once, we don't really _know_ each other," I offer. She looks over at Edward and he shrugs as he smiles at her.

"I gave her my number but she never called," he tells Jess, with a glance back over at me. I flinch.

"I washed it. It was in my pocket." I can tell he doesn't know whether to believe me or not, but it's the truth. I remember pulling out the hardened lump of paper pulp the next time I wore my jeans. There wasn't even a trace of ink left on it. That day was a particular low point. Conner had taken the last of his stuff and moved out and I'd deleted three emotionally-draining voicemails from Riley. The washed-out phone number was the final straw. "I swear," I tell him.

"Why don't you guys go on through to the dining room, we're almost ready," Jess tells us. I'd offer to help but I know she gets precious about her kitchen.

"Can I use the bathroom?" Edward asks, setting his beer down on the counter.

"Sure, you know where it is."

I wait a moment to make sure he's gone, then I walk over to Jess, holding the top of her arm as I lean in.

"It's him, the hitchhiker guy from Sequim," I whisper urgently, checking to make sure he's not back already. Jess freezes and moves her head back to get a better look at me.

"Edward?"

I nod. "Yes!".

"Are you sure?"

I almost laugh, hysteria bubbling dangerously close to the surface.

"Of course I'm sure, jeez, Jess."

"And you never called him? Why didn't you call him?" Her voice has risen to a pitch that's barely audible to the human ear.

"Because I washed his number, didn't you hear me tell him that?"

"Of course I heard you, but it sounded like the worst excuse in the world."

I groan. "You think he thinks that too?"

"Bella, I'm worried about his levels of naivety if he doesn't," she says.

"Fuck."

"What are you two whispering about?" Mike asks, moving past us to reach the refrigerator.

"Nothing."

I'm facing the doorway, so I see Edward the moment he returns. I smile, feeling it falter as I wonder if the phone number thing really did sound as bad as Jess insisted.

"Now go check out the dining room," she tells me with a nudge. "We finished it since you last came over."

Jess has been so excited about this whole house project, it's great to see it finally coming to life, even if her masterpiece is being overshadowed by a man who draws my attention so thoroughly I barely know what planet I'm on, let alone which room I'm in.

"Jess was telling me you helped Mike out with some stuff," I say to Edward as I run my hand along the back of one of the dining chairs, doing my best to appreciate the effort my friend has put into everything. He doesn't reply and when I turn to see why, he's leaning in the doorway watching me with a half-smile on his face.

"What?" I ask, suddenly self-conscious.

"Don't you think this is all a little weird? I mean, _good_ weird, but still, weird."

"What? This?" I gesture between us.

"Yeah."

I consider it for a moment. "I don't know. I mean, Forks isn't that big of a town…"

"To run into one another at the store or the gas station, maybe, but at your friend's house after practically half a year?"

I look carefully at him. He's still smiling at me, and his eyes are bright. I laugh.

"You're going to say it's fate, or something equally cheesy, aren't you?" I look at him, my smile never fading as he laughs too.

"You don't believe in fate, Isabella? And I thought women were supposed to be the hopeless romantics."

"I guess I'm more of a realist than a romantic," I confess, my mood taking a sudden downturn. Edward looks at me questioningly. "I don't have much family history of romance. My mom was an alcoholic," I explain. The stark truth falls from my lips before I think too much about it. It took me months to share that particular fact with Conner, and only then because I was forced to. I can still picture the revulsion on his face as he stood and watched me struggling to haul her into bed from the floor, vomit smeared across her face and binding her hair into foul-smelling clumps.

Edward's brow draws downward, the smile slipping away.

"I'm sorry," he tells me. "My uncle…" He disappears inside himself for a moment and I wonder what he's remembering as he shakes his head. "It's a horrible disease."

I feel my stomach starting to twist, so I push all my thoughts and feelings back down and turn the key.

"Anyway." I force a smile. "Jess will kill me if I sabotage her dinner party with my issues." I turn away from him, looking instead at a gallery of photographs on the wall. I hear him move, but I don't realize how close he is until I hear his voice in my ear, close enough to make my whole body tingle.

"Some other time," he murmurs. "I want to know everything about you, Isabella."

My vulnerability is raw, and a bubble of panic begins to rise up inside me. I turn my head, pulling back the slightest amount to bring his face into focus, he's so close. My eyes meet his and instantly the panic subsides. Neither one of us moves until I hear footsteps approaching and I know the moment is coming to an end.

"Okay," I whisper, because the thought of _not_ sharing everything with him is unthinkable right now.

The evening is exhausting, I'm so hyper-aware of Edward that my heart and my brain race frequently. Jess has triumphed again, dinner is divine and we all pitch in to clear everything away. Conversation and laughter flows, the four of us bouncing easily off one another as we finally settle down in the living room, Mike clicking the TV on and flicking to the sports channel, despite Jess's protests. Edward sits down beside me, and although his eyes flit occasionally to the TV when Mike calls out, his attention sits pretty much on me, his nearness making my skin tingle.

"I should leave." The words fall reluctantly from my lips, distorted at the end by a yawn that proves the sentiment. I force myself out of my place beside Edward on the couch, turning to look at him once I'm on my feet.

"Do you have to go?" he asks. I smile as I nod towards Jess and Mike snoring softly on the other couch, their heads resting on one another. They've been like that for around a half hour now.

"I think it's time."

He stands too, and I realize I'd forgotten while we were sitting just how tall he is.

"You think we should wake them?" he asks, hovering for a moment over our hosts. I shake my head as I reach for his hand and pull him gently away, the thrill from of his skin against mine increasing when he doesn't let go again.

"Let them sleep, we can see ourselves out."

He's still holding my hand when we reach my truck on the driveway.

"This thing's still running?" he asks, smiling as he looks it over.

"Uh-huh." My thoughts are running wild, too busy wondering how the evening's going to end to hold a conversation about my truck. Edward sighs contentedly and I smirk as I look up at him in question.

"I had a great night, thank you," he tells me, his thumb rubbing small circles on my skin that send delicious shivers up and down my spine. I back up a couple of steps until I'm leaning against the truck, offering my other hand freely as he searches it out.

"Me too."

"Can I see you again?" he asks. He's gazing at me with a look that almost makes me forget to reply.

"I guess so."

He smiles, and I know what he's going to do before he even moves. I watch him silently, not daring to speak again or move in case it makes him change his mind as he slowly leans in, never moving his eyes away from my mouth. When his lips finally meet mine I feel I might explode from the anticipation, all the sparks that have glowed within me all evening, finally combusting simultaneously, igniting my senses and making my head spin.

It's over way too soon, I'm not even sure how I had time to be left gasping for breath, but I am. I try to hide it but I'm pretty sure he notices.

"Goodnight, Isabella," he says, opening the door of the truck for me. My legs are trembling, but I manage to climb inside.

"Goodnight."

He closes the door and I start the engine, glancing at him once to see him smiling and illuminated in the headlamps as I back out of the driveway. I wave as I turn onto the road and drive away, and he waves back.

The growing distance allows my head to clear, as the effect he has on me dissipates.

My head is filled with doubts, all at odds with the attraction I feel towards him. I know I have no room to talk given the circumstances of our first meeting, but I can't help but hold the fact the guy cheated on his wife, against him.

What the hell was I thinking, letting him get under my skin?

 _ **~Rebound~**_

"Oh, so you do answer your phone occasionally then?" Jess's tone is off, but I have no idea why.

"Did you call before?" I ask, frowning. "I don't have any missed calls."

"Bella, Edward says he's been trying to call you but you never pick up. What's going on with you?"

I sigh.

"Don't get mad with me, Jess."

"Well someone has to. Why won't you speak to him?"

"I'm just not sure it's a good idea." I sound a little whiny, I can hear it myself.

"And?"

"And that's it," I say. Jess is silent.

"That's it?" she asks at last. "That's all you've got to offer as an explanation?"

"I don't _owe_ you any explanations," I tell her, aware I'm being bitchy, but desperate not to give her a reason to scream hypocrite at me, because basically, that's what I am.

"Well explain to Edward, at least."

"If I'd wanted to explain to Edward then I'd have answered his calls," I spit back.

"I don't know what's wrong with you," she says. I can tell she's mad. "This isn't _like_ you at all."

She makes a sound that's pure frustration and then she hangs up.

 _ **~Rebound~**_

I stew all the next day over the phone call with Jess. Finally I feel bad and call her to apologize. I try four times over the course of an hour, but it goes straight to voicemail every time. In the end I decide to head over there, grabbing a bunch of flowers from the store on the way.

Mike's car is gone when I get to their house, but Jess's is there. I try to keep my eyes ahead and resist as much as a glance in the direction of Edward's place, terrified he might see me and come out to confront me. My resolve to stay away won't be nearly as strong with him right in front of me. I almost weaken with every step, but finally I reach the front door. I ring the bell and wait what feels like an age for Jess to answer. When she finally does, she has her robe wrapped around her and her hair is mussed up.

"Oh, uh, I'm sorry if I'm interrupting you…" I say. "I did try to call. These are to say sorry for yesterday."

She smiles and reaches out, taking the flowers from me. "Thank you, but you really didn't have to, you know?"

"I think I did, I feel terrible." I shift from one foot to the other.

"I'd invite you in, only-"

"No! Really, it's fine, I just wanted to-"

"Jess!" A voice calls from upstairs. "Are you coming back up here?" It takes me a moment to register, but I recognize the voice without a shadow of a doubt. My mouth falls open and my eyes grow wide as I stare at Jess, Edward's voice still echoing in my ears.

"Oh!" She looks from the direction his voice came from and back to me, a horrified expression on her face. "Bella I promise you, it's not how it looks."

I feel so many emotions simultaneously, but the one that overrides them all is stupidity. I wonder if they've been lying in bed laughing about me. My face burns and I feel my anger building.

"You know what? This." I stab my finger towards the ground to indicate the here and now. "This is the reason I wouldn't answer his calls. It looks like my trust issues were justified."

I turn and stalk away from the house as Jess calls out denials after me.

I don't know who I feel more disappointed in, my best friend for cheating on her husband with a guy I have a huge crush on, or myself for caring enough to feel this devastated.

 _ **~Rebound~**_

 _ **A/N Thanks to Choc for letting me bully her into casting her eye over this ;) xx**_


	3. Chapter 3

**Part 3**

"Hey." I move to close the door again when I see who it is, but Edward's faster than me, wrapping his hand around the edge of it so I can't. I consider slamming it as hard as I can to force him to let go, but even under the circumstances, I can't bring myself to be quite so mean.

"I have nothing to say to you," I tell him, not quite able to meet his eyes through the gap I refuse to widen.

"Isabella, I know how it looked, but-"

"Stop," I demand. "You don't have to explain to me, I'm not your girlfriend. Or your wife." I glare at him now, my anger at myself fuelling a sudden surging bravery.

"I want to explain, because you have it all wrong," he says, the strains of frustration licking around his words.

"It doesn't matter what you tell me, how can I believe it? You're a cheater, Edward, this is what you do." I can feel myself beginning to tremble.

"No." He shakes his head. "That's not what I am _or_ what I do. It was a one-time thing, a huge mistake, but one that I learned from. And besides, the last time I looked you were guilty of the exact same thing, so don't you dare get all high and mighty with me when I've done nothing wrong."

I look at him and raise my eyebrows.

"I'm serious," he insists. "Ask Mike if you don't believe me, he was there too, which makes your reaction even more ridiculous."

"Oh, you think I'm ridiculous now? Nice."

And then my brain catches up and registers exactly what he said. "Wait, Mike was there? But his car wasn't on the driveway…"

"He'd lent it to his mom, hers was at the garage."

"But…" I scramble for more facts that prove I was right. "Jess was in her _robe_ , why would she be-"

"She was about to take a shower and the lever for the controls came off in her hand. I was downstairs watching the game with Mike and went up to help him fix it. We just needed an extra set of hands when you called round, which is why I was shouting down to Jess."

It sounds almost plausible…

"And Mike will back this story up, you say?" I realize I've relaxed my hold on the door and it's opened up a little further now.

"Yes."

"Okay, then I'm sorry."

I see his shoulders relax and he smiles, almost knocking the air from my chest with his beauty.

"So can I come in?"

I hesitate, thrown off guard again, this time by the fact that nothing much has changed and yet he so clearly thinks it has.

"I'm sorry. I still can't…" I take a deep breath. "I think this all just proved that things would never work between us."

"Isabella, please." I close the door quickly, but not before the image of his face is burned onto my eyes. He looks devastated.

 _ **~Rebound~**_

"Bella, please don't shut me out," Jess pleads. It's the third time she's called me today, but the first time I've answered.

"I'm not, I've just been kind of busy." Busy wallowing in self-pity over my life, that is.

"I know you," she reminds me. "I'll bet you've been sitting around feeling sorry for yourself."

Damn her.

"I just really don't want to have to go over everything again."

"Edward said he came over."

My stomach turns at the mention of his name.

"Yeah. I'm...sorry I jumped to the wrong conclusion."

"You know I'd never do that to Mike."

I feel a pang of guilt at misjudging my best friend. "Yeah, I know. I guess I didn't have my rational head on."

"I'm still not sure you do. I had a long chat with Edward," she tells me.

"Oh, here we go."

"Do you really think I'd encourage you to go into a relationship with someone I thought might not treat you right?" she asks.

"That depends," I say. "Are you about to start telling me how great Edward is again? Only if you are, then that's a yes."

"I honestly don't think he'd ever consider doing anything like that again, he knows what a mess it causes. I mean, look at all the fallout with you, Conner and Riley. Do you really think you'd put yourself or anyone else through that kind of crap again?"

I don't reply fast enough, my pause giving her enough time to put two and two together and get the right answer. "Oh my God." She gasps quietly. "It's not about Edward at all. You don't trust yourself, do you? All this time I thought you were playing the victim. Were you actually trying to protect him?"

"No, it's not like that," I protest weakly.

"Bella." She only says my name, but I hear enough sympathy and affection to feel a lump appear in my throat. "You should talk to him. I'm pretty sure you'll find he doesn't think he needs protecting from you."

"But I like him way too much, Jess. What if I fuck things up?"

"What if you don't try at all? Bella, that's way worse. I spent an entire evening with the two of you, remember? There's something there, something I never saw with you and Conner or any other guy. I think you have to try. I don't think you'll ever forgive yourself if you don't."

 _ **~Rebound~**_

Jess's words play on my mind constantly over the next couple of weeks, to the point I've started to drive myself crazy. It's this mental state, combined with the bottle of wine I've drunk, that leads me to Edward's door at close to ten o'clock on a Friday night.

"Isabella."

I think I woke him. He's looking sleepy and ruffled, and altogether too cute for words. I stare for a moment, then I nod seriously, trying to hide the fact I'm struggling to keep from swaying.

"Yeah. Hi." I lift my hand and swipe it left to right in a kind of wave.

"Do you...want to come in?" He stands back a little and I look at the gap he just made, squinting slightly to try and get my eyes to focus as I consider.

"I probably shouldn't." I get lost in his face and lose my concentration for a moment, the sway winning out and making me stumble back. Edward takes a couple of steps forward and grabs my arm to steady me.

"Are you okay?" he asks, all concerned green eyes and face only inches from mine.

"I'm fine," I tell him. He twists his head away and laughs.

"Have you been drinking?" he asks, still amused.

"A little." I close my eyes and shake my head, waving my hand as if to dismiss it as inconsequential. He catches me as I stumble again.

"Come on, I'll make you a coffee."

He tries to steer me towards the door, but I dig my heels in.

"Edward."

He stops and turns to look at me, his hand burning my arm with its very presence. I was going to say something; attempt some kind of apology or explanation, but my head has succumbed to the alcohol, leaving my heart in charge, so instead I throw myself at him and close the distance between us, planting my lips on his. He grunts in surprise, kissing me back for a moment before gently pulling away.

"This isn't-" he begins to say. Panic hits me in the face at full-speed.

"I'm sorry," I cut in, embarrassment washing over me as I turn to leave. "I shouldn't have-"

"Hey." He catches me, wrapping his hand around my arm again and pulling me gently back to him. "I was going to say this isn't how I wanted our first kiss to be - you drunk and me at risk of being accused of taking advantage." I laugh, because if anything I'm the one taking advantage here. Then something else occurs to me.

"You've thought about our first kiss?" I ask, grateful for the confidence boost the wine has given me.

"Oh yeah, a lot. Come on. Coffee." He smiles at me and I melt, as he guides me inside the house.

 _ **~Rebound~**_

"Good morning. Did you sleep well?"

I think about answering, but my tongue is stuck to the roof of my mouth as thoroughly as my eyelids are fused shut, so I groan in reply instead. "Here." A hand takes my own and wraps it around a glass. I take a long drink of the cold water, cracking my eyes open as I do.

"Thank you," I croak, now my mouth is refreshed slightly. As soon as my body is a little more functional, my brain catches up quickly. "I turned up here drunk didn't I?" I ask Edward. His brow furrows.

"You don't remember?" he asks. I take another drink.

"I guess I do. I'm trying not to though."

He laughs quietly. He looks so good, even first thing in the morning.

"There's not much to recall, you fell asleep while I was making your coffee."

I wince. "I'm so sorry," I tell him, not sure if the warmth in my cheeks is from embarrassment or last night's wine. He's still smiling, but I get the sense of fondness rather than ridicule from it and I'm grateful.

"Don't be. Do you have plans for today?" he asks, sitting down at the opposite end of the couch as I pull myself up a little, tucking my feet out of his way and hugging the thick blanket he must have covered with me when I fell asleep.

"No, nothing. Don't worry though, I'll leave as soon as I've finished my water." I raise the glass, aiming to drain it as I avoid looking at Edward.

"I was actually going to suggest we spend the day together," he says. My hand lowers as I look up at him quickly, wondering if he's messing with me. The way he's watching me intently as his tongue wets his lip makes him look uncertain, and I know then he's serious.

"You were?" I ask. He nods. "Okay." I draw the word out and his nerves get the better of him.

"If you don't want to-"

"No, I do, that's not it, it's just I could really use a shower and a change of clothes."

Relief passes over his face like sunlight following shade across a landscape. He smiles and the effect is equally as bright.

"Okay, well when you're ready I'll drive you home."

"You really don't have to…"

"I know that, I want to. You think you can manage some breakfast?" he asks, standing.

"I guess I could try," I tell him, anxious to please. He reaches down and takes my hand in his.

"Come keep me company while I cook." He tugs me gently to my feet, the blanket falling away as I rise. I make a move to pick it up, but he pulls on my hand again. "Leave it. I'll get it later," he says softly. I smile and let him lead me, the sense of being looked after warming me through.

 _ **~Rebound~**_

 ** _A/N - Hi, thanks for sticking with this despite me being such an update fail!_**

 ** _I'm planning one more chapter for these two before it's marked complete xx_**


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